Armelle Habib
If you’ve looked at your calendar only to find a full complement of engagements from now until Christmas already, you might find yourself wondering, “when am I going to clean the house?!”
The silly season is well and truly upon us and it’s your last chance to do a deep clean of your home before the mayhem hits. Buckle down and get to the heart of your housekeeping with these seven tips to ensure your home is guest ready and gorgeous for the duration.
1. Do a big clean now
So you don’t have to do another one before Christmas. You might not get the chance for the next little while so set aside a day to do a thorough spring clean that will last the distance. Then you can just attack high traffic areas as needed and stay across things with sporadic cleaning.
Things to give a deep clean:
- Oven
- Shower
- Dishwasher
- Front entrance
- Back deck or verandah
- Living room
2. Wash everything
We mean everything! Bedlinen – including mattress protectors and sheets, tablecloths and placemats, platters and wine glasses. Rotate all of these things through washing cycles in your dishwasher and washing machine so everything is spick and span, ready to press into service when you have a full house.
3. Hose down the exterior of your house
Particularly if you have a weatherboard home, now is the time for a good washing down. You’ll have time to do a thorough job and take note of any other little (or large) jobs that need to be done. Garden trimming, weeding, small fixes to fencing or edges that you still have time to address before Christmas.
4. Clean your windows
This will literally give you a fresh outlook. There’s nothing like clean windows to make your home feel like new and give everything a lovely sparkle.
5. Lift everything and clean underneath
We mean everything! Furniture in the living room, plant pots in the hallway, toaster on the kitchen bench – move things out of the way to ensure a good clean/wipe/vacuum underneath and behind everything in your home. Go the extra mile now with your cleaning and it will give you a good six-to-eight weeks until it needs to be done again.
6. Make a list
Rather than get side-tracked from your cleaning at this stage, keep a pen and paper or your phone handy with a list of things you’d like to get done before Christmas. Some will go by the wayside but many can be added to your daily or weekly cleaning tasks here and there to give you great satisfaction later.
7. Be realistic
Don’t throw yourself into overwhelm by creating an insurmountable list you’ll never get to the end of. Prioritise things that you and your guests may notice and slate other tasks for when you have more time and things start to wind down.
You might also like:
Clean your house in half the time: expert tips and tricks
Spring cleaning – Seven tips from a professional cleaner
Housekeeping is good for you – here’s why
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
